Basket-like container

ABSTRACT

A box-like body open at the top and having a bail-like handle to form a basket-like container formed from stiff sheet stock, the sides comprising two plies folded flatly together and connected at the upper edges, and a strip-type handle formed from solid fiber stock and having short end portions folded flatly upon themselves which are extended through slots in the outer plies of the sides of said body to interlock therewith.

[ 5] Apr. 10, 1973 United States Patent [191 Naylor 2,712,959 7/1955 Tornarin ......................229/52 A UX BASKET-LIKE CONTAINER [75] Inventor:

Richard Naylm" FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 5/1927 Switzerland........................

9/1936 Australia........................::::

W m o 2 3 9 H 7 462 704 844 52 5 a m1 .m7 ,9 X1 ms m a CM E a eh 1 AF 11 32 72 21 Appl. No.: 140,527

Primary Examiner-Davis T. Moorhead Att0rneyC. Hercus Just [52] US. Cl. .........................229/52, 229/34, 229/24 ....B65d 5/46 .229/54 R, 52 A, 24,

51 lm.c1..............;.. [58] FieldofSearch...................

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT A box-like body open at the top and having a bail-like handle to form a basket-like container formed from stiff sheet stock, the sides comprising two plies folded [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS flatly together and connected at the upper edges, and

a strip-type handle formed from solid fiber stock and mm t e hwm t .1 ew n e Ot e u.mm y k an m n m .m dmv F m m l o i W o S o m .md 6 d Hm... a w m x e d o .m A? C M 4 b5 Mm Swm f 8 .m S mwk hv m. AxuAx flAWfiA l22/2 9 29 2/2/ 29 29 2 2 2 2 n w mu m Rmmm a 1 mm VHMBB 73569 554 4 99999 11111 93425 1 758 09095 723400 03766 1 1 22222 PATENTEUAPRO'M I $726,470

sum 2 [IF 2 J'IIIIIIIIIIJ'II INVENTOR. RICHARD H. NAYLOR BASKET-LIKE CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many types of containers and boxes are formed at present from sheet stock and especially corrugated paper board of various kinds and thicknesses. For purposes of packing the same compactly for shipment and storage, many such containers and boxes are formed at present from blanks which are stamped and cut in suitable manner to permit forming therefrom threedimensional boxes and containers simply by folding certain flaps and panels of the blank into interengaging or interlocking relationship which is established either by interfitting members of the panel, or inserting staples, applying adhesive, or otherwise.

For many years, it has been customary to merchandise certain types of fruits and vegetables in basket like containers. Many of these have been formed for a long period from thin wooden panel stock which is more or less of veneer thickness. In view of the fact that these require certain manufacturing operations such as stapling and applying other means for connecting the wooden panels together, the substitution of containers and baskets formed from sheet-like paper stock materials is taking place. I-Ieretofore, handles for such containers have sometimes been formed from metal wire but the cost of this material has gradually been increasing, whereby means have been sought to obviate the use of wire handles and substitute other materials therefor.

One type of handle means used at present which is formed from paper stock comprises a strip of cardboard or solid fiber having dart-shaped extremities which are inserted through slots formed in the sides of a square or rectangular open-topped box. Inserting such dart-shaped ends through the slots however results either in the opposite side edges of the dart being compressed and disfigured or the slots are extended in length and thereby detrimentally affect the actual connection of the ends of the handle member to the sides of the container or basket. Further, such handles tend to pivot relative to the basket in use and this is not always desirable.

To obviate the foregoing difficulties and particularly for purposes of producing a' basket-like container having a bail-type handle, all components of which are formed from paper-type sheet stock, either of solid fiber or corrugated board nature, the present invention has been devised to make it possible to produce such a basket-like container which is easily formed into operative condition from'a blank of such material which can be folded quickly and in a fool-proof manner to form the basket body and the handle is secured to the sides of such body in a novel way to provide a self-locking connection which is incapable of being separated during normal use. Details of the structure by which such type of basket-like container is produced are set forth, as follows.

SUMMARY OF THE INYENTION It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a basket-like container formed from a blank stamped from sheet material, such as corrugated paper board, solid fiber stock of suitable thickness, or the like, and comprising a pair of sides extending upwardly from a bottom panel, the sides being multi-ply and connected by a folded upper edge, one of the plies of each side having a slot therein intermediately of the ends thereof and spaced a limited distance from the folded upper edge for purposes of receiving the terminal ends of a strip-like handle member preferably formed from solid fiber stock, short portions of the opposite ends of the handle member being folded upon themselves and inserted through said slots in the sides of the container in a manner to interlock with said sides by disposing such reversely folded short ends between the foldably connected upper portions of the sides of the container.

It is another object of the invention to provide the container with end panels which also extend upwardly from the bottom panel, the opposite side edges of the end panels having flaps foldably connected thereto and disposed between the plurality of plies of each side of the container to secure the end panels in operative position.

It is a further object of the invention to dimension the flaps of the end panels of the container so that when the flaps of each end panel are disposed operatively respectively between the plies of the sides of the container, the terminal ends of the flaps in each side are spaced a distance substantially equal to the width of the striplike handle which is disposed therebetween and is thereby prevented from moving pivotally or cocking with respect to the container to any appreciable extent, whereby the handle is maintained substantially perpendicularly with respect to the upper edges of the sides of the container.

Details of the foregoing objects and of the invention, as well as other objects thereof, are set forth in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which comprise a part thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a basket-like container which embodies the preferred construction of the invention. 7

FIG. 2 is an exemplary blank from which the body portion of the container shown in FIG. 1 may be formed.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showingone of the multi'ply sides arranged with the innermost ply in partially opened position to expose the disposition of one terminal end of a handle with respect to the terminal ends of the flaps of the end panels which are held in assembled relationship by the multiple plies of the sides of the container.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the container shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, said view being taken substantially midway between the opposite ends of the container adjacent one edge of the handle member.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, enlarged and somewhat exaggerated view illustrating details of the construction by which the ends of the handle are connected to the multi-ply sides of the container.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of an exemplary strip-like handle for the container shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The preferred embodiment of basket-like container comprising the present invention is formed from a blank of sheet-like material of which one exemplary configuration is shown in FIG. 2. For purposes of forming a relatively inexpensive container, the sheet material which is utilized may be either corrugated board of paper-like nature or solid fiber board of suitable thickness. It is also conceivable however that a container embodying the principles of the present invention may be formed from foldable synthetic resin sheet material if the item of expense is not critical. Also, sheet metal may be employed to form the container but the cost of this material is by no means competitive with paper board products of various kinds, notwithstanding the fact that the principles of the invention may be utilized if the container is formed from sheet metal.

The blank shown in FIG. 2 from which the container shown in FIGS. 1, 3. and 4 is formed, comprises a bottom panel 12 which preferably is rectangular but this is not to be considered restrictive. Pairs of relatively foldable outermost side panels 14 and inntermost side panels 16 respectively are folded along crease lines 18 relative to the bottom panel 12, and a pair of parallel slightly spaced crease lines 20 and 22 are employed to foldably connect the outermost and innermost side panels 14 and 16 to each other. This arrangement results in providing a slight space between side panels 14 and 16 of each multi-ply side 20 of the container body 22, shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, when side panels 14 and 16 have been folded upon themselves in a manner described hereinafter. The space between the side panels 14 and 16 preferably is substantially equal to the thickness of the material from which the blank shown in FIG. 2 is formed.

Foldably connected to the opposite ends of the bottom panel 12 are end panels 24, these being folded along creases 26 relative to said bottom panel. The opposite side edges of the end panels 24 also have similar flaps 28 foldably connected thereto. These facilitate disposing the end panels 24 in operative position with respect to the multi-ply side panels and bottom panel when the container body 22 has been formed by folding the various panels into operative relationship as described hereinafter.

Referring to FIG. 2, it also will be seen that the bottom panel 12 is provided along opposite edges with a plurality of longitudinally spaced,' narrow slots 30 which are complementary to the length and thickness of stubby, relatively wide locking tongues 32 which project outwardly from the outer edges of side panels 16. Further, the outermost side panels 14 respectively are provided with short, thin slots 34 midway between the ends thereof and in spaced relationship to the crease lines 22 so that, as viewed in FIG. 1 and 3, it will be seen that the slots 34 are spaced a short distance downwardly from the folded upper edges 36 of the multi-ply side panels 20, for purposes to be described.

The basket-like container 10 also includes a bail-type handle 38 which, in the preferred construction of the invention is formed from a strip of solid fiber sheet material. By way of example and not limitation, an appropriate thickness which has been found satisfactory One example of a strip formed of such a handle in plan view is shown in exemplary manner in FIG. 6. According to said figure, it will be seen that transverse creases 40 are formed in the handle strip 38 equal distances from the opposite terminal ends thereof to provide short terminal end portions 42 which, in use, are folded flatly upon the adjacent portions of the handle strip 38, such as shown in FIG. 5 and thereby form multi-ply end portions. Also from said figure, it will be seen that the terminal portions 42 are of greater length than the distance between the slots 34 and the folded upper edges 36 of the multi-ply side panels 20, for desired purposes explained hereinafter.

METHOD OF ASSEMBLY The flat blank shown in FIG. 2 is formed into a boxlike body having an open top by initially bending the end panels 24 along creases 26, upwardly, away from the bottom panel 12. The end flaps 28 of the end panels 24 then are bent inwardly toward each other, followed by bending the side panels 14 upwardly along the creases 18, thereby tentatively being disposed against the outer surfaces of the end panels 28. The side panels 16, which become innermost, then are bent along the creases 20 and 22 downwardly toward the bottom panel '12, thereby enclosing the end panels 28 and finally, the locking tongues 32 are snapped into the receiving slots 30 which completes the formation of the box-like body. The space between creases 20 and 22 is such that panels 14 and 16 snugly receive panels 28 therebetween. In the specifically illustrated box-like body shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, as formed from the blank shown in FIG. 2, the sides and ends slope slightly outward but this is merely illustrative rather than restrictive.

Following the completion of the assembly of the blank of FIG. 2 into the box-like body shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the handle 38 then is attached. This is ac complished by initially folding the terminal end portions 42 along the creases 40 into flatly abutting relationship with the adjacent portions of the handle strip 38. Then, by flexing the handle strip 38 into arcuate configuration, as shown in FIG. 4 for example, while the folded terminal end portions ,42 are disposed along the inner surfaces of the handle strip, the folded, multiply ends 40 of the handle strip 38 are inserted in the slots 34 until the terminal portions 42 have completely passed into the slots. The handle strip adjacent the slots is then pulled backwardly which results in disposing the terminal ends of the terminal portions 42 in abutting relationship against the folded upper edges 36 of the multi-ply side panels 20, as'shown in FIG. 4 and also shown in enlarged detail in FIG. 5.

Due'particularly to the stiffness of the material from which the handle strip 38 is formed, and also due to the folded end portion of the handle strip 38 being disposed a pre-determined adequate distance below the slot 34 where it is firmly held between the closely overlying outermost and innermost panels 14 and 16 of the multi-ply side panels 20, as clearly shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, there is no appreciable tendency for the fold 40 in the handle strip 38 to migrate. Hence, substantial pulling force may be placed upon the handle while holding the box-like body, as when the same is filled with fruit or other suitable produce, with no danger of the connected ends of the handle being accidentallyor otherwise removed from the side panels 20 to which the handle ends are connected.

An additional feature of the invention which is beneficial, especially to maintain the handle 38 in substantially perpendicular and non-pivotal relationship with respect to the folded upper edges 36 of the side panels 20 resides in the fact that the terminal ends 44, of the end flaps 28, identified in MG. 2, are so dimensioned that, as can be seen in FIG. 3, wherein the uppermost side panel 20 is incompletely formed to expose the flaps 2.8, the distance between the terminal ends 44 of end flaps 28 is substantially equal to the width of the terminal portions 42 of the ends of the handle 38.

It also can be appreciated when the innermost side panels 16 are folded closely adjacent the outermost side panels 14, as when the fonnation of the box-like body has been completed as described above, the terminal portions 42 of the handle will be maintained precisely and concisely between the terminal ends 44 of end flaps 28. By such arrangement, so appreciable pivotal movement or wiggling of the handle 38 with respect to the box-like body can occur except through the exercise of unintended or accidental excessive force being applied laterally against the handle 38 in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the box-like body.

From the foregoing therefore, it will be seen that the present invention provides a relatively inexpensive, readily assembled basket-like container which comprises a box-like body to which a strip-type handle may be securely attached and interlocked therewith while all of the foldable arrangement of the various panels into operative position is accomplished without the aid of tools of any kind and without the use of any additional locking means such as adhesive, staples, or other auxiliary elements or materials. Further, as can be visualized from FIG. 2 in particular, the blank may be formed by a minimum number of steps to form the various creases and incisions therein. Also, the general shape of the blank is such that it is generally rectangular in configuration and thereby results in a minimum of waste stock in the manufacturing operation.

While the invention has been described and illustrated in its several preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details herein illustrated and described since the same may be carried out in other ways falling within the scope of the invention as illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A box-like container having an open top and comprising a bottom and sides extending upward from at least two opposite edges of said bottom, said sides being composite and each comprising two plies of sheet material connected together at the upper edges thereof and one of the plies of each composite side having a slot formed therein intermediately of the opposite ends thereof and spaced a predetermined distance below the folded upper edge thereof, and a bail-like handle formed from a strip of relatively su'fl solid paper fiber stock and connected at the ends thereof respectively to said sides of said container, said handle comprising short end portions longer than said aforementioned predetermined distance, and folded flatly against the d' ent ortions of s 'd ndl to form m lt'- t n ri l por ions which re iii sertgd through s shi g ts i h said sides of said container and said short end portions of said handle extending upward above said slots in said one of said plies of said composite sides and are wedged tightly between said flatly folded upper edges of said innermost and outermost plies of said sides of said container to lock said terminal portions of said handle against removal from said sides of said container and the folded ends of said handle being disposed below said slots in said sides and between the overlying plies thereof to maintain said end portions of said handle in said folded condition.

2. The container according to claim 1 in which said slots in said sides of said container are formed in the outermost plies thereof.

3. The container according to claim 1 in which said container also includes end panels extending upward from said bottom and provided with flaps foldably connected to the opposite ends of said end panels, said flaps respectively being disposed between said plies of said composite sides to secure said end panels connected to the opposite ends of said sides, and means connecting the innermost plies of said composite sides to the bottom of said container to maintain said plies of each side in flatly folded condition upon each other.

4. The container according to claim 3 in which said flaps on each end panel of said container extend toward each other between said plies of said composite sides and the terminal ends of said flaps being spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of said multi-ply terminal ends of said handle and receiving said ends of said handle within said space and thereby preventing any appreciable deviating movement of said handle from the normal operative position thereof substantially perpendicular to said folded upper 

1. A box-like container having an open top and comprising a bottom and sides extending upward from at least two opposite edges of said bottom, said sides being composite and each comprising two plies of sheet material connected together at the upper edges thereof and one of the plies of each composite side having a slot formed therein intermediately of the opposite ends thereof and spaced a predetermined distance below the folded upper edge thereof, and a bail-like handle formed from a strip of relatively stiff solid paper fiber stock and connected at the ends thereof respectively to said sides of said container, said handle comprising short end portions longer than said aforementioned predetermined distance, and folded flatly against the adjacent portions of said handle to form multi-ply terminal portions which are inserted through said slots in said sides of said container and said short end portions of said handle extending upward above said slots in said one of said plies of said composite sides and are wedged tightly between said flatly folded upper edges of said innermost and outermost plies of said sides of said container to lock said terminal portions of said handle against removal from said sides of said container and the folded ends of said handle being disposed below said slots in said sides and between the overlying plies thereof to maintain said end portions of said handle in said folded condition.
 2. The container according to claim 1 in which said slots in said sides of said container are formed in the outermost plies thereof.
 3. The container according to claim 1 in which said container also includes end panels extending upward from said bottom and provided with flaps foldably connected to the opposite ends of said end panels, said flaps respectively being disposed between said plies of said composite sides to secure said end panels connected to the opposite ends of said sides, and means connecting the innermost plies of said composite sides to the bottom of said container to maintain said plies of each side in flatly folded condition upon each other.
 4. The container according to claim 3 in which said flaps on each end panel of said container extend toward each other between said plies of said composite sides and the terminal ends of said flaps being spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of said multi-ply terminal ends of said handle and receiving said ends of said handle within said space and thereby preventing any appreciable deviating movement of said handle from the normal operative position thereof substantially perpendicular to said folded upper edges of said sides of said container. 